GZA

For other uses, see GZA (disambiguation).
GZA
GZA at Jiffy Lube Live in 2022
GZA at Jiffy Lube Live in 2022
Background information
Birth nameGary Eldridge Grice
Also known asThe Genius
Born (1966-08-22) August 22, 1966 (age 58)
New York City, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active1990–present[1]
Labels
Member ofWu-Tang Clan

Gary Eldridge Grice[2] (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA (/ˈdʒɪzə/ JIZ-ə) and The Genius,[3] is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member.[4] He has appeared on his fellow Wu-Tang members' solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with his second album Liquid Swords (1995).

His lyrical style often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies and has been characterized as "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow".[5][6][7][8] An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has one of the largest vocabularies in popular hip hop music.[9][10] He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop.[11]

  1. ^ "TODAY IN HIP HOP HISTORY: GZA RELEASES 'WORDS FROM THE GENIUS' 25 YEARS AGO". The Source. February 19, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  2. ^ DeLuca, Dan (February 16, 2023). "5 great concerts to shake the Super Bowl Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  3. ^ Sarah Marie Pittman (May 25, 2011). "Rock The Bells Announce 2011 Lineup". Pollstar. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  4. ^ Peter Larson (September 15, 2014). "I Played Chess with GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan". Vice Media. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  5. ^ "Top 50 MCs of Our Time: 1987 – 2007 – 50 Greatest Emcees of Our Time". Rap.about.com. January 26, 2012. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  6. ^ Hao Nguyen (October 6, 2016). "Part 3 of the 50 greatest rappers of all time". Stop The Breaks. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  7. ^ Kofi Bofah (November 2, 2016). "The 10 Greatest Rappers of All Time". Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  8. ^ "The Source's Top 50 Lyricists Of All Time **Complete List Inside**". ThisIs50.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  9. ^ Matt Daniels (2014). "The Largest Vocabulary in Hip hop". Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  10. ^ Killian Young (May 5, 2014). "Aesop Rock and GZA Have the Largest Vocabularies in Hip-Hop – Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  11. ^ Nathaniel Janowitz (2014). "Ranked: Every Member of Wu-Tang Clan". Nerve. Retrieved November 3, 2016.